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<title>RE: [governance] Free Web Plan Being Pushed by FCC Head</title>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>> And PLEASE note that this is a CENSORED internet, which is
precisely what some of us fear will be the price of government-provided
“internet for all.” (Milton) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>There is no necessary connection between publicly provided net
and a censored net. The analogy often applied earlier comparing a ’right
to the Internet’ with the right to education is useful here. Public education
has mostly meant some kind of a public curriculum. States and communities have
dealt with the issue of inappropriate kinds of control over ‘public
curriculum’ in a nuanced and dynamic manner. No one has ever proposed
scrapping public education provisions to deal with the problems associated with
state’s role in determining/ influencing curriculum. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The comparison with right to education and state’s role in
curriculum/content development however ends here. There perhaps was (is) a
structural and also a social requirement for state’s involvement in
curriculum decisions in terms of public education. Internet however is entirely
different. Any amount of different content, of any number of different types, *<b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>can</span></b>* be accommodated *<b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>equally</span></b>* on the Internet. However, public
support is still required to provide ‘equalizing’ conditions for
production of all, and different, kinds of content. (Canada recently has
announced some such provisions to ensure there is sufficient
“Canadian” content on the Internet, as the government used to do to
ensure enough Canadian content on TV and Film media.)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>IT for Change just now concluded an international workshop on
‘ICTs for participatory local development’ where the combination of
– as well as nuances and dynamics of – ‘public
provisioning’ along with ‘local community decision making’
was emphasized to deal with equity and social justice aspects of the emerging
information society. The two are not exclusive, in fact they need to complement
one another, and public provisioning has to be done in a manner that
strengthens rather than weakens ‘local community decision making’.
The same extends to the issue of expanding individual’s freedoms through
public action, something which underpins Sen’s capability rights approach
and UNDP’s Human Development approach to development policy based on
Sen’s work. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>As for some members skepticism about public provisioning on the
Internet; who proposes what solution depends of where one is placed. Societies
where markets are in a good position to deal with the dynamics of an emerging
information (or Internet-based) society would have a different take on this
issue than societies where these dynamics are furthering inequalities, both
within the societies and vis a vis the Northern societies. To the extent that
we are speaking in terms that are sought to be applied across the world, we
need to be sensitive to social and political realities of the whole
world. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Parminder <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Milton L Mueller
[mailto:mueller@syr.edu] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, December 03, 2008
3:25 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> governance@lists.cpsr.org; Lee
W McKnight<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: [governance] Free Web
Plan Being Pushed by FCC Head</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>And PLEASE note that this is a CENSORED
internet, which is precisely what some of us fear will be the price of
government-provided “internet for all.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is<br>
pushing for action in December on a plan to offer free, pornography-free<br>
wireless Internet service to all Americans, despite objections from the<br>
wireless industry and some consumer groups.<br>
<br>
The proposal to allow a no-smut, free wireless Internet service is part<br>
of a proposal to auction off a chunk of airwaves. The winning bidder<br>
would be required to set aside a quarter of the airwaves for a free<br>
Internet service. The winner could establish a paid service that would<br>
have a fast wireless Internet connection. The free service could be<br>
slower and would be required to filter out pornography and other<br>
material not suitable for children. The FCC's proposal mirrors a plan<br>
offered by M2Z Networks Inc., a start-up backed by Kleiner Perkins<br>
Caufield & Byers partner John Doerr.<br>
<br>
Consumer advocates have objected to the FCC's proposed pornography<br>
filter, while the wireless industry has objected to the entire free<br>
Internet plan. To address concerns about the filter, the FCC is<br>
proposing that adults could opt out and access all Internet sites.<br>
<br>
T-Mobile USA, in particular, has raised concerns. The Deutsche Telekom<br>
AG unit paid about $4 billion a few years ago for nearby airwaves and<br>
has complained that the free wireless Internet plan will likely result<br>
in interference for consumers of its new 3G wireless network. The FCC<br>
dismissed the company's interference concerns this fall, although<br>
T-Mobile disagreed with that finding.<br>
<br>
--<br>
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Guru</st1:PersonName>murthy Kasinathan<br>
IT for Change<br>
www.ITforChange.net<br>
Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities<br>
<a href="http://ITforChange.net"><font size=2><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>http://ITforChange.net</span></font></a><br>
<a href="http://India.IS-Watch.net"><font size=2><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>http://India.IS-Watch.net</span></font></a><br>
<a href="http://IS-Watch.net"><font size=2><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>http://IS-Watch.net</span></font></a><br>
*IT for Change is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with United Nations'
Economic and Social Council*<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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